Bridge score-sheet.



P. W. PETERS'EN.

BRIDGE scoRE SHEET.

AP PL|CATION FILED FEB. i4. 19H.

Patented Nov'. 12, 1918 PAUL WILLER PETERSEN, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

BRIDGE SCORE-SHEET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Nov. 12, 191s.

Application led February 14, 1917. Serial No.148,689.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL W. PE'rnRsnN, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge Score-Sheets, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to score or tally sheets for auction bridge and has for its object the provision of an article of this character which is of a size to be conveniently handled, provides suflicient space for keeping score of a large number of games and rubbers, and is so arranged that the scores of the games, rubbers and the individual scores of the players, may be easily recorded and will be in open view for examination by the players. The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure l shows a sheet which is adapted to be folded to form the score-card;

Fig. 2 shows the first division or leaf of the card which is utilized;

Fig. 3 shows the second division; and

Fig. 4 shows the third division of the card when folded.

As will be clear from Fig. 1, the score card comprises a rectangular sheet of paper which is of greater width than length, which is ruled by a heavy line l to provide at the top of the sheet a horizontal space which extends the entire width of the sheet. This space may be ruled horizontally to provide four horizontal columns 2, 3, 4f and 5. This space may also be ruled vertically by a line 6 to provide a` vertical column at the upper left-hand corner of the sheet. The remainder of the sheet is ruled into vertical columns by heavy vertical lines 7, which columns are again sub-divided by light lines 8. In the form shown, the heavy vertical lines divide the space into nine columns which will give suicient space to keep the score of the nine rubbers, as will be later described. A horizontal line 10 divides each of the vertical columns into two substantially equal divisions, the upper division being utilized to record the honors and the lower division for the points, as is the customary practice in keeping a bridge score.

The top portion of the sheet is cutaway as at ll, which cutaway portion is prefery ably of a length and width corresponding to the length and width of the vertical column located to the left of the line 6. This cutaway portion is positioned above the third vertical column from the right-hand edge of the paper, the purpose of which will be later referred to. The horizontal columns 2, ,3, L1 and 5 above the heavy horizontal line l maybe also ruled vertically `by lines 12, if desired, to provide a number of vertical columns above the horizontal line l equal to the number of columns below line l.,

lThe sheet described is folded up along two of the vertical lines 7 to provide three equal divisions or leaves and is used as a score card in its folded form when it is of a size to be conveniently handled. Moreover since a plurality of thicknesses of paper are thus provided, the card even though made of paper, will have sufficient body to prevent a pencil from cutting the paper if it is marked upon when supported by a soft backing, such as a baize-covered table.

The advantages of the card will be apparent from a description of the manner in which it is used to keep score for auction bridge. y

Before starting, the names of the players are written inthe vertical column provided in the upper left-hand corner of the sheet to the left of the line 6, and we will, for convenience, enumerate Ithe players as A, B, C and D. If we assume that A and B, and C and D are playing as partners, as is the usual custom, the score keeper utilizes the left-hand vertical column for keeping the score of the first rubber, one-half of this vertical column being utilized for one pair of partners and the other half for the other pair of partners. Assuming that A is keeping score, he will then write at the to of these two columns the words we and t ey or equivalent words, as is the usual practice, we,7 of course, meaning A and B, who are the playing partners, and they C and D who are the opposing partners. Assuming that the first rubber has been played, the

' honors being marked above the horizontal line and the points below the horizontal line, and that C and D Win the rubber by making 437 points. r[he score keeper then records this score in the horizontal columns opposite each players name; z'. e. lby giving to A and B, who have lost, a score of minus 437, and to C and D a score of p'lus437. The `second rubber is played in the same manner, exceptthis time A and C are the playingpartners, and B and D the opposingl partners. Assuming that A and C Win the rubber 'Witlra score of 601 points. This will give A, Who previously Was minus 437, plus 164, and this score is placed in the As horizontal column. The score of B, which Was previously minus 437, will new be minus 1038, and this is marked in Bs column. C, Who has won both `gaines, will havefa total score `of 1038 `which is marked in his column, and D, who has Won theV first. gaine and lost the second, -Wiill have a score of minus 164. The third rubber is played in the same `Way, -A and D,fand B and C playing aspartners, and assuming that A and D `Win the game by 608 points, the Itotal individual sco-re of A forthe three rubbers ivi-ll be plus 164,:and` plus 608, or plus'f772, which Will be placed in AS horizontal column. B hasagain -lost,'and his total scorewill be a' minus 1038, plus-'a'minus `S, o1'l a total of a minus 1646,`Which isplaced in his column. The totalscores of C and yD are placed in their respectivehorizontal columns in the saine manner. The rstleaffor division of the score card bis then entirely used upand the cardis then turned over'and the middle division of the cardutilized. 0n the fourth rubber,assuming that A and B, and. C and D are'again playingas partners, and and 1B win the rubber Witha scoreiof 407 points. rlhe individual. Yscores of` the players arethen tallied as before.` Asn-'ill be clear, to do this, the card=must be turned over to find outy As totalscore at theend 'of the third rubber, and the score keeper iwill, when determining this scoresalso determine in which column Vs-score belongs. fThatis, when he looks at the back of the card to' read s previous score, 'which Was 772` and mentally adds to this 407, he also determines in wl ich horizontal column to place Asfscore. ln the same manne-r, the individual scores of each of theother players 4is 4determined and Written down in their respective horizoutal columns, and this mannerfoffkeeping scc-re continued through Vthei'ifth and sixth rubbers when the'second leafv of theeh'eet will be entirely filled. If, at any` time! the score keeper is in "doubt as to Whichofthe vhorizontal columns the individual-scores'of the respective players belong, he'ean readily determine this by ,merely looking at- .the back of the card whichcontainsthefprevieus scores, of the players from the beginning.

After the sixth rubber hasbeenufinished, the card is then takenzandxtheffirst leafof .pears through thefcut-out portion. (diridual score Vof B, C and D may also 'be Vquired for recording the next score. prevent the pencil from splitting' the holes 'that Avand B are playingr partners and have `Won the rubber `bya total score of 526. To determine As individual score for the sixth rubber so that the score for the seventh rubber may be added thereto, it is merely necessary to look at' the `back of the card and add it t0 h-is score for thesixth rubber, as,

forexample, by looking'at the back of the' ycard lthe score keeper determines that As individual Vscore for the sixth rubber is minus443 and when plus 526 isadded to it, the totalscoreof Awvill be plus 83, which will be placed in the horizontal column opposite As `nanie or initial, which znoW ap- The inrecorded in their horizontal columns in ythe samemanner, and the eighth and rninth rub `bers played 'as' before When the `sheet vWill be Ventirely used up, the total individual scores' for the nine rubbers appearing in the horizontal columns opposite each of the players fnames.

lt should benoted that LWhen the individual scores of the playersiare addedl up at the end of -each rubber, the plus and minus Will balance, Whichuvill .,Qive a convenient check to the score-keeper and prevent him from making errors in the score. lt will also be seen that. once thefsheet is folded it `is `unnecessary"thereafter to 'unfold it for the score keeper or any playerto determine -ivhat the individual Yscores of each of the players Ywere at theend of the last rubber, since this question can always be determined -inerely bydookine' at the card or at the back if the card has just been turned and a new :leaf is being used.

'come into alinen'ient When the sheet. is folded.

The score keeper may push his pencil or pen through these holes and the pencil or pen will thus'be retained inplace until it is r'eopen,fthe paperfinay be split for a short disstance'above the holesas at 14.

Iclalm:

the Itop .extending theuentire Width of the sheet, said space being of sutiicient depth to Vpermit the names of theindividual .players to be placed oneiunder the other and Vtheir honors and points of each rubber, said sheet being folded in three equal leaves along the division lines between the vertical columns, and utilized in folded conditioners a score Card, the third leaf having a eut-out portion in its upper edge at the top of the first l0 vertical column thereon of a size, shape and location to appear opposite the space to be occupied by the names of the players.

In Witness whereof I subscribe my signature.

PAUL WILLER PETERSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. C. 

